44 Seats cnid Saddles. 



seen by the hoof-marks left on moist ground or <sand, 

 which will be found in double pairs instead of single 

 ones after such horses. Now of course it woidd be as 

 absurd to suppose that, under such circumstances, a 

 horse takes shorter steps with his fore legs than with 

 the hind ones as to ignore what the immortal Hudibras 

 pointed out long ago — namely, that when, having but 

 one spur, you make one side of your horse to get along, 

 the other is sure to follow ; a fact well known to Irish 

 "bull-riders" at Ballinasloe. 



There is another class of horses, that, instead of over- 

 stepping, come short of the track of the fore feet with 

 the hind ones, and almost all horses do this at starting 

 — in fact, they cannot do otherwise ; these, too, leave a 

 double track. 



Now those that overstep will be usually found to be 

 such as are over-weighted on the forehand, while those 

 that step short are usually such as are over-weiglited 

 behind, without the hind legs being brought under the 

 weight in a bent position like the manege horse, or that 

 have some weakness, want of due proportion or other 

 deficiency, in their hind quarters. 



When a horse oversteps with his hind legs the track 

 of the fore feet ( C, fig. 2,), the succession of full lines 

 connecting the two diagonal feet in each alternate 

 movement is not, as shown in A^ continuous, but 

 broken ; there is, therefore, an interval of time during 

 which the weight of the horse (and rider) is not sup- 

 ported diagonally in the usual manner, but vibrates, as 

 it were, from one fixed basis to a more forward one. 

 The animal is oft' the ground with all four legs for a 

 moment in rapid trotting, for instance — the consequence 

 is, that there must be less stability; and we know from 

 experience, that when this is carried to a great extent, 

 the horse " over-reaches," as it is called, and comes 

 down ; but, on the other hand, the advantage is gained 





